The first Birchbox of the year comes with the theme "shake your pom poms" in the hope of brightening up what can be quite a gloomy month.

I love the bright and colourful theme of the box and the items within it, it really did bring spark some life into the grey and cold weather outside for me.

So, let's drive right in and see what was in the January 2019 Birchbox, and what I thought of the products.

• CLE Cosmetics Essence Moonlighter Cushion (Shade: Apricot) RRP £22 - Fullsize. I don't think I've ever used cushion makeup before, but it's something I've always been eager to try so I couldn't wait to give this highlighter a go (plus I'm not familiar with the brand either). You just press the supplied puff gently into the cushion and the tap onto the skin for instant glow (you could also use your fingers). You don't have to press hard to get a decent amount of product onto the puff and it transfers beautifully onto the skin. It's easy to build up for a stronger highlight, but is also so simple to blend out for a more natural glow, which is what I prefer. It lasted most of the day and didn't have any issues working with my other makeup. I'm a big fan of this highlighter and will definitely be looking at what else CLE Cosmetics have to offer.
  

• Doucce Maxlash Volumizer Mascara RRP £18. You can see in the top photo the difference between my eyes with and without this mascara on (just one coat on the left, none on the right). It applies easily, no smudges or clumps, and instantly brings volume and length. It's a nice mascara to use and didn't irritate my eyes at all and stayed put throughout the day. It's been my go-to mascara for the last week or so, and I'd happily repurchase and recommend.
• Birchbox Pom Pom Hair Ties. Just a bit of fun really, not something I'd use but my neice will love them!

Final Thoughts:
I'm really happy with January's Birchbox. I can use everything in it and all the products do what they claim. Some have become firm favourites and I'll definitely repurchase a couple! I'm looking forward to seeing what February has in store.

You can subscribe to Birchbox here [Referral Link]

If you already subscribe to Birchbox, drop me a comment to let me know what you thought of this month's box, or tell me if you have any other subscription boxes to recommend!

Stay safe, x

Last week I gave you guys a brief rundown on what to expect from the latest Specialbuys from Aldi; their Ski Pro collection. You can read details of everything included here.

But over the weekend I managed to get my hands on a couple of things, so thought I'd give you a quick look and tell you my thoughts.

The first thing is the Inoc Faux Fur Band Knitted Hat (which you can see in the photo). It looks warm and cosy and it more than lives up to expectation when it's on your head. It's a really comfortable fit (even over a ponytail) and did a great job of keeping the wind away from my ears when the temperatures dropped over the last couple of days. So off the slopes it's a great option, and I'm confident it would be just as good on the white stuff as well, it fits comfortably under a ski helmet so that's a real bonus and it looks fashionable on its own. At £3.49 it's a bargain and you can find it here.

The second item I've been putting to the test is the Ladies Sports Base Layer (there is a mens version).
It's designed to dry quickly, keep your core warm and reduce windchill. It's like a second skin to wear and I tested it's flexibility by wearing it for yoga class and it didn't restrict my movement at all, so you don't need to worry about that when you're skiing or snowboarding. Mine is a size bigger than I would normally wear and is still very form-fitting (it kind of needs to be to work), I expect it would stretch if needed but if you're looking for a looser fit then this probably isn't for you. But I really enjoyed wearing it, it's warm and comfortable but didn't make me feel constricted or at risk of being too-hot. It's sold out online but if you're lucky you might be able to find it instore for £8.99.

There's so much in the Ski Pro range that would be great whether you want it for a bit of fun in the snow or just to stay warm closer to home. I've also got a pair of the Merino Ski Glove Liners on the way because my hands are always cold!

Let me know if you decide to pick anything up from the collection by dropping me a comment below!

Stay safe, x

 The skii season is well-underway and the weather at home is starting to match the chill on the slopes, so what better time for Aldi to launch their new Ski Pro collection of winter sports clothing!

From the big items like the 3-in-1 Ski Pro Jacket to the smaller essentials like socks, the range has everything you need to keep you warm this winter, whether you're enjoying the powder or just trying to stay warm on the early morning dog walks!

The Ski Pro collection is available to pre-order now at www.aldi.co.uk and is in stores from Sunday 20th January 2019, so let's take a look at what you can get your hands on:

• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO 3-LAYER 3-IN-1 JACKET (ONLINE ONLY) £89.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ 3-LAYER TROUSERS (ONLINE ONLY) £49.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO JACKET £34.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO SALOPETTES £29.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ MERINO SPORTS MIDLAYER (SKI) £29.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ HYBRID KNITTED JACKET £19.99
• LADIES SNOW BOOTS £17.99
• MEN'S SNOW BOOTS £17.99
• CHILDREN'S SNOW BOOTS £11.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO GLOVES/MITTS £9.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ WINTER SPORTS PERFORMANCE BASE LAYER £8.99
• MERINO SKI ACCESSORIES £5.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI SOCKS WITH SILK 1PK £4.99
• FAUX FUR ACCESSORIES £3.49

Skiwear can be pretty expensive, especially if it's your first time hitting the slopes and you need to be fully kitted out, so the Ski Pro range from Aldi is a great way to get high quality clothing without breaking the bank.

I'm looking forward to trying out a couple of things from the collection, so I'll be sure to let you all know how I get on!

- You can now read my review of the Faux Fur Band Hat and the Womens Baselayer here -

Drop me a comment below if you're planning on going skiing this year, if you're hoping to pick any of these items up or if you have any advice for first-time visitors to the slopes!

Stay safe, x

I love face masks. If you've read this blog for a while, or if you follow me on instagram, you'll know this already. They're my little luxury, the non-negotiable break I give myself twice a week to just lie back, relax and let my face be pampered a little.

So whenever I get the chance to try out something different, I'm immediately up for it, which is how I came across my latest discovery: the Marine Moisture Mask from Procoal.

Procoal itself is a new brand for me but I'm really happy I've found them because they focus on making sure the ingredients in their products are as traceable and ethically-sourced as possible, and they're a cruelty free brand (no animal testing) which I love! Their product range currently consists of teeth whitening products, a charcoal face mask, this sheet mask, shampoo bars, and a natural deodorant.

The Marine Moisture Mask is all about hydration. It's free from parabens, pigments, silicones and mineral oils.. YAY.. and is formulated in the UK.

It contains nutrient-rich Marine ferments which provide antioxidants and helps the skin retain the moisture boost from the other ingredients such as Pro-Vitamin B5 and botanical extracts, along with aloe vera to keep skin soothed and soft. While the charcoal elements help to keep skin clear and blemish free.

Each mask contains around 25g of serum, which is a lot, so your skin gets a real hit of hydration in one go.

All-in-all, I couldn't wait to try it out and was looking forward to my 20 minutes of relaxtion.

After cleansing and drying my face, I removed the mask from the sachet and was surprised to see that it was black in colour; then reminded myself it was a charcoal mask, so duh. After carefully unfolding the mask was pretty easy to get into place and fit pretty well.

I then lay back and listened to a podcast for 20 minutes while my skin felt instantly soothed and refreshed underneath the mask.

After removing, there was a bit of serum left on my face, but not too much to be annoying, which I simply massaged into my skin and rubbed the leftovers on my hands onto my cuticles because they're always dry at this time of year!

My skin felt immediately hydrated and supple after using the mask, with a definite improvement in radiance. I used it before bed and the next morning a couple of blemishes that had been starting to show were virtually invisible and my skin still had a nice moisturised glow.

With 4 masks in a pack, I'm already looking forward to using it again tomorrow (face mask nights are Tuesday and Fridays for me) and will definitely be repurchasing when I've run out. At a current price of £13.99 for 4, it's a great deal and well worth it!

• Hydrated skin? ✔
• Radiant skin? ✔
• Soft and supple? ✔
• Blemishes reduced and skin clearer? ✔

I really can't say enough good things about the Procoal Marine Moisture Mask, it's lovely to use and made a visible difference to my skin. What more could you want?

You can buy the mask here: https://procoal.co.uk/products/moisturising-sheet-mask

Let me know in the comments below if you've tried anything from Procoal, or if you have a favourite face mask you think I should know about!

Stay safe, x

Where to start? That's the question I'm asking myself both about the writing of this post and the topic it's about. I've written before about my struggles with joint hypermobility, and by extension, chronic pain and the effect that has on my fluctuating fitness and exercise capabilities. This is kind of like that, but with a little extra...

But maybe that's a good place to begin... my joints are dodgy and they hurt.

I have joint hypermobility, technically it's part of wider condition (EDS) but it's my joints that suffer the most. My connective tissues; ligaments, muscles, tendons, don't quite work the way they should and a too loose, so my joints dislocate almost at will and I get a lot of soft tissue injuries. This means pain. A lot of it. All the time. I haven't had a day without pain since before I was a teenager, and that was a long time ago. I wake up in pain. I will literally wake up with an injury most people only experience after pushing too hard in the gym, because that's just what my body does apparently.

There's no cure, there's no fix or magic trick, it's just about management. Working to lessen what already hurts and limit further damage or strain.

For example, I love yoga. It grounds me, it makes my mind shut up and it lessens some of the pain I feel. But it can also be detrimental in the long term for me.. if I hold a stretch too long, I'm pushing my already loose tissues too far, if I do the wrong stretch something pops out of place, etc.

So one of my targets for this year is to find a way of doing yoga and still keeping all of the benefits while being aware of the issues it could cause me and trying to mitigate them. Hatha yoga is slower so it's a better option for me. Iyengar yoga is ok but I have to physically hold myself back from going fully into the poses because I overextend without realising, it's the same with Yin yoga. If there's sharp or fast movements or transitions it's a straight no from me, and I've moved the focus away from flexibility (I have too much of that) and onto the things I need: strength, stability and balance, 3 things which will help and improve my joints not hurt them.

I'm also going to look at other exercise options that have the lowest chance of increasing pain, while strengthening my joints and more effective ways of dealing with the pain in the first place (painkillers have little effect with me).

So physically I have a whole list of things I want to try out this year, and I'm looking forward to sharing with you guys what works, what could work with tweaks and what gets a no from me.

But it's also going to be a year when I finally give my mind the attention it deserves, because surprise surprise my mental health is intrinsically linked to my physical health. I have anxiety and depression so I'll be looking for effective ways to lessen their impact (I don't believe you ever remove them) and again, I'll be sharing that here.

I titled this "Fit For Me" because that's what this series of posts over the next 12 months will be... the things that help me feel better and that improve my overall health. Hopefully, it might help some of you too.

If you have any tips or anything in particular you think I should try, then drop me a comment down below!

Stay safe, x